Curse of Durin's Line
by TheHardcoreHobbit
Summary: "Bilbo had sensed something off about the two younger members of the company ever since they'd show up at his doorstep. He didn't know what it was, just that it was something… dangerous." In which there's something different about the line of Durin, and Bilbo would like to know what, exactly. No slash, just brotherly love.
1. Chapter 1: Golden Eyes

A/N: This is written a little different than my usual style, and I'm not sure how much I really like it. Anyway, let me know what you guys think! I know I probably shouldn't be starting something new on here, but I'm beginning to wrap up Bleeding Out and I actually have this written on paper until Beorn's house, so hopefully -fingers crossed- there will be semi-regular updates.

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Bilbo had sensed something off about the two younger members of the company ever since they'd show up at his doorstep. He didn't know what it was, just that it was something… dangerous.

He thought maybe it was their ferocity in battle, their training that they seemed to have been subjected to their entire lives, but that couldn't have been it, because Dwalin of all the dwarves would have given off the strongest vibe.

The first hint had come after the rowdy dinner in his house. Thorin had been explaining the quest, and an argument had begun over whether or not Bilbo was a suitable burglar (which he most certainly was not). Kili's eyes had flashed yellow, something Bilbo had thought was just a trick of the light at the time. Fili had pulled his brother backwards, to sit down hard onto the wooden chair, where the blonde proceeded to keep his hand on his brother's chest, murmuring something that made Kili close his eyes and breathe deeply for the rest of the argument.

He'd thought that maybe the boy had a tendency for nervousness, that he would get overexcited and perhaps faint, but that proved wrong as soon as they'd begun tossing his dishware around the house. Those two were anything but weak-hearted.

The second time it happened, Kili and Fili were discussing orcs with him, clearly scaring him for the fun of it. Thorin had scolded them none too gently, and as hurt expressions mixed with more than a little chagrin passed over their features, golden eyes reflected the fire for a brief moment. In the next instant, blue and brown irises stared into his with silent apologies and Bilbo blinked rapidly, wondering if he was seeing things.

But then the troll battle occurred, and he knew he wasn't unfounded in his wonderings. When the brothers told him the ponies were missing, he sensed panic and something else being barely held at bay as they glanced back and forth, communicating in the way they somehow did without words.

Bilbo supposed sending him after the stolen animals wasn't the worst idea in the world, he was supposed to be the burglar after all, and if he couldn't free a couple ponies from some slow and stupid trolls, how would he ever face a dragon?

The plan backfired however, and as he was being dangled upside down by a troll, covering snot, he sent a quick prayer to whoever was listening that the dwarves would arrive and save his sorry hide. Luckily, Kili leapt out just in time, saving him from certain death. The company rushed from the tree-line soon after, battling the trolls the best they could.

The fight was going well until Bilbo found himself once again held captive, his arms and legs splayed in the air.

"Bilbo!" he heard Kili shout, followed by a loud growl that Bilbo found strange coming from the throat of the young dwarf.

"Kili, no!" Thorin pulled him back, earning himself a murderous glare as the dwarf debated between obeying his king and saving the hobbit.

"Throw down your arms, or we'll tear his off!" one of the trolls bellowed, and reluctantly the dwarves allowed themselves to be taken and thrown into sacks.

Bilbo was trussed up next to Fili, who was snarling softly as he attempted to right himself. Kili looked as if he was only half aware of what was happening around him, almost like he was focused on something else.

The hobbit managed to stall the situation for as long as he could once he caught the sight of Gandalf out of the corner of his eye, no thanks to Kili, who finally snapped out of it a bit when Thorin kicked him in the back.

Finally, the trolls were turned to stone, and Gandalf went to free the dwarves from the spit first.

Balin quickly stopped his work, asking in a rush, "Could you please be so kind as to release Kili and Fili before the rest of us? Much appreciated."

Dwalin grumbled but didn't argue, and understanding blossomed on Gandalf's face as he hurried to the brothers, pulling them from the pile as Thorin gave him a grateful smile.

As soon as Fili was released, he rushed to his sibling, undoing the ties at the top of the cloth with shaking fingers. Gandalf left them to their own devices as soon as they were free, removing the dwarves from the spit before they managed to accidentally throw themselves on the fire.

Bilbo found the whole situation strange, but as Fili helped a panicked Kili to his feet and back towards the edge of the forest, the hobbit wondered if the dark-haired dwarf was severely claustrophobic.

He would have thought that was ironic for a dwarf, but he couldn't say much, seeing as he was a Baggins going out on an adventure.

Even though Bilbo wanted to give them some space, he couldn't help but watch them out of the corner of his eye as the harsh whispers being exchanged between them reached his ears.

"Kili, just breathe, brother. It's over, we're all fine. Just pull it back in-"

"I'm trying!" Kili's voice was strangled as he let the blonde wrap a hand around the back of his neck and bring their foreheads together until they were touching.

Blue eyes stared into brown until Bilbo realized with a start that the gold was back, reflecting strangely in the darkness of the tree cover. This was definitely not a trick of the light.

"Fili, I can't, I can't-" Kili's breath hissed out from between his teeth as he suddenly doubled over, pressing his hands against his stomach as he pulled away from his brother.

The golden-haired dwarf hauled him close again, forcing him upright to lock gazes again, "Stay with me," he commanded, but the brunette didn't seem to be paying attention anymore.

He was randomly twitching, parts of his body spasming as a look of intense concentration passed over both of the brother's faces.

"Kili, you have to stop. I need you to get control, right now. Because else we're both going to shift, I won't be able to stop myself-" Fili stiffened, his words getting caught in his throat, "Kili, please!"

The brunette finally met his brother's eyes again, pain reflected in his expression. With a shaky exhale that sounded more animal than dwarf, Kili finally stilled, the glow from his eyes fading as he calmed. Fili followed a moment later. He had his eyes closed until Kili tentatively asked, "Fili?" and the other dwarf gave a weak smile.

"Once second."

By the time Thorin called the brothers over to check out the troll cave, they were back to normal, with Kili offering up a wide, reassuring grin to his brother and Thorin; a tentative, reserved expression quickly slid into place when he caught Bilbo watching.

Bilbo planned to corner the brothers and ask them exactly what that was all about at the soonest chance, but he was too curious about the cave to risk not being able to see it. Once inside, Gandalf cornered _him _instead, handing him a small blade that made the perfect sword for him.

He didn't want it, by the Green Lady, he didn't even want to be on this journey at all, but the wizard insisted he take it. He wasn't given the opportunity to protest too much however, because in the next instant, Thorin was calling for all to take up arms, that there was something heading through the trees towards them.

It turned out only to be the brown wizard that Gandalf had been telling them about a few days prior. Radagast surely knew how to make an entrance, screaming about thieves and murder as he rushed towards them on a sleigh pulled by rabbits.

He and Gandalf went out of earshot to discuss something of import, while the rest of the company milled around in the clearing. There was small talk amongst them for a few minutes: Thorin and Dwalin went over the path they thought they should continue along next with Balin, Dori was fussing over Ori while Nori tried to get him to stop, Gloin was helping Oin get his herbs reorganized in his pack, Kili and Fili were checking over their weapons, and Bofur was trying to engage his cousin in conversation with the help of his brother.

They had all shifted back into a comfortable atmosphere, letting their guard down slightly after the false alarm when a howl cut through the clearing.

Bilbo could feel Fili straighten next to him as he heard himself ask, "Was that a wolf?"

"No, no that was no a wolf," Bofur answered slowly, fear clear in his tone.

A split second later, a warg pounced into the clearing. Thorin made quick work of it, slicing through the creatures neck as if it were made of butter instead of muscle.

"Kili, shoot it!" Thorin shouted, and the young dwarf complied, stopping the beast in its tracks even as Dwalin swung his hammer towards its head.

A quick discussion played out, between Thorin and the wizards. Bilbo didn't understand what was going on, he didn't understand why they were being hunted, what was going on, but when Radagast offered to lead the orcs away, he was ready to run.

They raced out from the tree line just after the brown wizard, ducking behind rocks to stay hidden. Terror exuded from Bilbo's every pore, but he managed to keep up, praying that they lived through this.

Finally, the inevitable happened. A warg caught their scent, and its orc rider lead the creature along the ridges, scouring the shadows for any sign of the dwarves.

Thorin motioned to the young brunette next to him, and Kili stepped out from their hiding spot, letting an arrow loose. It soared through the air, slamming into the orcs shoulder. The creature let out a squeal, one that was intensified as another projectile was launched into the chest of the warg.

Both mount and rider tumbled over the side of the rock formation, landing in the perfect position for Dwalin and Bifur to move in for the kill.

And even though Bilbo thought they did a brilliant job of crushing the thing's windpipe or whatever they were doing, it still made a terrible amount of noise, drawing every enemy for miles.

Thorin was yelling for them to run then, and they'd sprinted for as long as they'd been able before Fili shouted that they were surrounded.

Bilbo's heart was in his throat, and all he could focus on was the fact that Gandalf wasn't there. Why had he abandoned them in their time of need? Where in Middle Earth had he gone that was so much more important than saving the company?

Almost as if the wizard had heard what the hobbit was thinking, Gandalf cried, "This way, you fools!"

He motioned for them to all follow, and without a second of hesitation, Bilbo raced towards the voice, sliding down into the cool, dark cave.

Everyone was inside except Thorin, who was defending the entrance; Kili, who was still shooting orc after orc; and Fili who was assumedly protecting his brother's back.

"Kili, run!" Thorin bellowed, and the brunette finally obeyed, letting the blonde race down the rock slope first.

The two siblings ended up in a heap on the floor, while the king without his mountain landed gracefully, staring down at the two as if he wasn't sure what he was going to do with them.

There was the sound of a war horn above their heads, and an orc tumbled towards them. A quick prod with Gandalf's staff showed the enemy to be dead, and when Thorin examined the body, he threw an arrow head to the side, disgusted.

"Elves," he spat.

The king was glaring at the wizard and about to speak when Dwalin called, "There is a path, but I cannot see where it leads! Do we follow it or not?"

"Follow it of course!" came Bofur's quick response, but before anyone could move, Thorin held a hand up.

"We wait. Give us a moment to recover."

The dwarves had given each other confused looks, and Bilbo couldn't deny that he joined them, when he caught sight of the pair that had fallen into the cave last.

They were hunched up against a wall, Fili sitting carefully next to his brother as if he were afraid to touch him. A soft groan escaped his lips as his fingers slowly realigned themselves. How the dwarf was managing to relocate them on his own, Bilbo wasn't sure, but he knew then that it had to have been some kind of magic.

When his gaze shifted to the brunette, the hobbit involuntarily shuddered.

"Kili?" he asked, concern marring his tone as he took in the twisted mess that was the dwarf's left shoulder and arm.

The dark-haired dwarf's eyes were screwed shut as he pressed his back against solid rock behind him. There was something wrong with his mouth as well; his jaw was clenched strangely and sharp canines stuck out over his lower lip, much larger than Bilbo remembered them to be.

A soft wolfish whine worked its way up Kili's throat, startling the hobbit with how foreign it sounded. Even as he watched, the dwarf's other shoulder popped out of place, and he bit down with his strange teeth strongly enough to draw blood.

"What's wrong with them?" Bilbo had asked, his horror clear.

Fili flinched at the tone, but ignored him, sighing in relief as all his fingers moved back to normal.

"Kili…"the blonde's voice conveyed exasperation and worry all at once.

"No, no, I'm okay, I'm not… I'm not going to, it just… hurts," he swallowed convulsively as his body gradually began to look normal again.

"Can you walk?" Thorin asked, his anxiety to move on conveyed in his expression.

"We're fine," Fili accepted Gloin's hand as it was offered to him, but Kili batted Ori's away, climbing to his feet with an irritated air to his movements.

"What… what happened-" the hobbit began to question, but Gandalf stopped him.

"Bilbo, my dear fellow, I would hold your tongue about this topic until you can ask the young ones in private. This is not the best time."

He'd taken the old man's advice, even though curiosity was eating away at him.

The closer they had moved towards Rivendale, the more magic that Bilbo had felt. Gandalf assured him that it was normal, but it was like nothing he'd ever experienced before… maybe he wouldn't hate this journey as much as he'd thought he was going to.

The elves rushed in on their horses, throwing the dwarves on the defensive, but soon they were eating dinner, all potential arguments put on hold. There was relative peace at first, except for the companies grumblings over the lack of meat. Of course, they couldn't seem to get through a meal without bursting into song and generally making a mess, but Bilbo had come to expect that by now.

They soon retired to a common area, where the dwarves were set to rest while Bilbo, Thorin, Balin and Gandalf went to receive help with the map they could not read. The meeting with Elrond went relatively well, at least in Bilbo's perspective. When they had returned, Thorin explained their plan, before placing Fili on first watch. They would need to all be well restored for the coming days.

Kili had complained at first, about not being awake with his brother, but as soon as his bed roll was set up, the brunette had passed out. He was the first asleep, much to the amusement of the rest of the company as they settled down for the night.

Finally, it was just Bilbo and Fili awake.

He hadn't been able to sleep with all the questions swirling through his mind. He'd put the events of the past fortnight in order, trying to figure out the riddle of the brothers, but he was unable to come up with a solutions that made any sense.

After another few heartbeats, he sat up, moving to towards the blonde as quietly as he could until he was directly next to the dwarf.

"Couldn't sleep?" Fili asked with a smile.

"Something like that," Bilbo answered.

They rested in comfortable silence for a moment before he blurted, "So which one of you is older? You or Kili?"

The hobbit figured that the brunette was the younger of the pair from the way the other protected him.

"I am, by five years, and don't let my brother tell you otherwise."

They fell back into quiet before Fili spoke up, "I suppose you want to know what happened to Kili and I today."

It wasn't a question, but Bilbo nodded anyway.

"Have you heard any of the legends surrounding the dwarves descended from the line of Durin?"

The hobbit thought back through some of his history books, vaguely recalling a few myths that he couldn't remember the details of, "Sort of."

"Well, there's one in specific that is of import here. The one I'm referring to involves shape-shifters, the kings that could turn into wolves."

"Alright, but I don't see how that's relevant…"

"The story isn't a legend, Master Baggins. Select members of the line have been gifted with this ability. We're what one would call werewolves," he spoke so bluntly it took Bilbo a minute to understand.

"You and your brother were… shifting into wolves?"

Fili nodded his head to affirm the hobbit's inquiry.

"… So you're from the line of Durin? Thorin's line? Are you his sons?!"

Fili snorted, "No. We're his nephew's… if we were his sons, there would be more gray in his hair, trust me on this."

"Are you his heirs?"

"Kili and I both are, yes."

"Does that make… Thorin a werewolf?"

"Mhm."

"I never would have guessed. He so in control, where you two are…" Bilbo trailed off, realizing what he was saying.

Fili didn't seem offended however, "He has lived with this longer than we have. Dwarves of Durin's line usually discover this ability on their 75th birthday. I've had this… affliction for 7 years, but it usually takes anywhere between 10-25 years to master it. Thorin's been training for over a 100 years."

"What about Kili? He's only been a werewolf for two years then, correct?"

For reasons Bilbo didn't understand, Fili sobered, his open and helpful expression turning closed off.

"No master hobbit… my brother is a different story."

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A/N: Comments and favorites much appreciated! Thank you! :)


	2. Chapter 2: Bitten

Bilbo stared at the dwarf, confused as he waited for him to continue.

"He wasn't one of the ones born this way."

"But he-"

"He was bitten."

"That can happen?"

Fili looked more and more uncomfortable as the conversation went on, "Normally when one is bitten, the wound simply becomes infected and one would die, but rarely, some will live. Kili's the only for several generations, since the wolves of Durin's line have slowly started dying out. He probably only survived because of his royal blood."

"Who... Who bit your brother? If you don't mind me asking," Bilbo wondered if he was bothering the... prince, he guessed the blonde's title would be.

"Kili had been 75 for six months without shifting, something he was glad for, so we knew he was probably safe. We were low on venison, and it was starting to get colder. My mother wanted us to go out and get some meat..."

_He'd been cocky. He thought he'd had it under control, but he'd scented the deer and shifted. Kili hadn't been surprised, they'd been hunting like this for almost a year now, after Thorin had given Fili the okay. He should have known that something was off the moment he'd been unable to stay human, but he'd ignored his instincts. _

_He took the buck down with ease, giving a short huff of happiness as he heart the thumping heart of the animal fall silent._

_He still wasn't sure why it happened. Maybe it was too close to the full moon to be doing this, or maybe it was the bloodlust still present, but when his brother came up in a crouch behind him with hunting knife to help cut the deer apart, he'd snapped at him._

_It was _his_ kill._

_Kili had fallen back with a groan, clutching a forearm that was bleeding profusely._

_He'd immediately shifted to his human self, ripping some of his shirt to form a makeshift bandage._

"I... lost control, snapped at him."

_They'd wrapped up the bite mark._

_"We just have to get home, we'll send Thorin out for the deer, and get you some stitches," his optimisitic tone sounded fake even to him._

_Kii had been fine at first, brushing his brother off, "It's just a bit of blood, alright?"_

_At Fili's insistance, they'd started back towards their house._

_The more they walked, the more Kili began to stumble. Finally, he'd offered up a quick rest, one which Kili accepted without a word._

_The brunette's face was flushed with fever, his eyes glazed as he slumped against a tree, his arm cradled against his chest._

_The bite was already starting to infect him._

_About twenty minutes from home, Fili had taken his brother's arm around his shoulder, practically dragging him. His face was bloodless now as he shivered, his bangs matted against his forehead._

_"Fee, this isn't... this isn't good is it," Kili mumbled, his head hanging._

_"It's fine-"_

_His words cut off as the brunette shoved away from Fili's hold, resting his shoulder against a tree as he doubled over, retching._

"He was sick for a long while. We weren't sure if he was going to make it... he didn't shift the first full moon afterwards, and we all thought the worst."

_His brother lay in bed, pale as a sheet as his breath rasped in and out._

_Oin wasn't sure how much longer that Kili had to live, and Fili knew it was all his fault._

_If only he had control over it, if only he hadn't..._

_Thorin and his mother said they didn't blame him, but he knew that wasn't true._

_Kili slept all the time now, except when he woke to throw up the food they managed to get into his stomach. It was terrifying to watch him slowly disappear like this._

"But then, the second month, he changed."

_There was a loud crash from the room Kili had been staying in for the last few weeks._

_Fili had only left for a second; he'd been starving and his mother had finished dinner. He needed to move, to do something other than sit and watch Kili breath. It was the full moon and he was resisting the urge to shift with every breath._

_Dis gave him silent permission to check on his brother while she poured out the stew._

_"Kili?" the blonde called quietly as he pushed the door open, wondering if the brunette was awake._

_He was startled to find his brother standing upright, chest heaving as he clutched at his stomach._

_"I'm... hungry," Kili whispered, a pained expression on his face._

_"I'll get you some food!" Fili backpedaled, "Ma, Mother, he's... standing!"_

_Dis' noise of surprise echoed down the hall to him._

_The blonde moved further into the space, "I'll bring you something to eat in a bit, just lay back down, alright?"_

_Kili glanced at him, confused expression plain a moment before he suddenly collapsed to his knees, a groan bursting from his lips as he curled up into himself._

_"...Kili?"_

_The brunette glanced up at him, his eyes flashing a golden yellow color before he screamed, muscles and tendons tearing as his body shifted shapes._

_"Ma, get out of here! Kili's changing!"_

_He didn't want his perfectly normal mother to suffer the same fate as his brother._

"He destroyed the room, but I got him out somehow. We kind of just took off into the woods, and I made sure he didn't hurt anyone. When we shifted back, it was like he'd never been sick at all."

Fili had drawn up a knee to his chest during the conversation, and BIlbo wondered if it was because of an unconscious need to comfort himself.

"Do werewolves have to change every full moon?" the hobbit wanted to change the subject, away from something that was clearly causing the blonde distress.

"Thorin and I don't. It's a strong pull, hard to resist, but if we don't want to, we don't have to. Kili is forced to every month, he has no control over it. He doesn't remember himself when it happens."

Fili's face was drawn into a tight brooding frown that resembled his uncle's so much Bilbo wasn't sure how he managed to miss the family resemblance.

"Is it painful, for you?"

"At first, but it gets easier over time."

"And the others know?"

"Almost all of them watched us grow up. They know how to deal with us, for the most part."

"Ah. I'm sorry if I've bothered you, Master Dwarf, forgive my curiosity," Bilbo hoped he hadn't offended Fili with his questions, but he'd wanted, no, needed, to know.

"It's fine Mr. Baggins. I owe you for sending you into investigate the trolls anyway."

"You really don't-"

"I do. You saved us, even if the others may not see it that way."

Bilbo stood, tired now that he wasn't filled with questions, "I suppose I should get some rest now."

"Goodnight Master Hobbit," Fili said as he settled back down into a more comfortable position for the rest of his watch.

Bilbo stepped carefully over the rest of the dwarves in the company, pausing right above his bed roll.

"You know, it wasn't your fault that your brother was bit," he wasn't sure why he spoke, only that he felt it necessary.

"It was," Fili said simply, ending the conversation and dismissing Bilbo with only two words.

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A/N: Kind of a short chapter, but it needed to end there... hopefully will have another update in the next few days!  
Comments and favorites are much appreciated, thank you!


	3. Chapter 3: Thunder Battle

A/N: Not real happy about how this chapter turned out, but hopefully you enjoy it more than I do. This diverges from the movie and a bit into the book. Thanks for reading, as always, comments, favorites, reviews etc. are welcome!

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The next few days in Rivendell passed without many disturbances.

Well, there had been the thing with the fountain, but otherwise, things were running smoothly.  
Kili seemed aware that Bilbo knew about him and his family, something that somehow eased tensions greatly.  
And then one early morning, before dawn, they snuck away while Gandalf distracted the white council.  
He was sad to go; he'd rather have stayed as a matter of fact, but he'd signed a contract, and a Baggins never went back on his word. He was only consoled by the fact that Gandalf would be meeting them somewhere in the mountains before they moved on.  
They traveled all day, and then all the next, crossing beautiful landscapes that Bilbo never would have thought possible.  
It wasn't long however, until his wonder and amazement at the scenery slipped into annoyance as a steady rain began one morning and didn't let up.  
How the dwarves expected to make it across the narrow rocky ledge in the middle of a thunderstorm astounded him, but he followed nonetheless, his breath leaving him in gasps every time his feet were too close to the edge.  
"We must find shelter!" Thorin bellowed over the wind, and Bilbo agreed, 100%, with that statement.  
Other dwarves began to yell things that he couldn't understand, but the finger pointed towards the stone giant was a good enough indication as to what they were all getting on about. Rocks were shifting and falling everywhere, including right in front of Bilbo.  
Dwalin grabbed his hood as his body betrayed him and he almost toppled headfirst off the cliff.  
He should not be here, he should not be here-  
He barely had time to collect his wits before the rock moved under him again, except this time further in front of him.  
An embarrassing panicked squeak escaped his lips as the rock swung around and he watched Fili and Kili separate.  
"GRAB MY HAND!" Echoed in his ears as he was wrenched back and forth on the stone giants leg, desperately trying to cling to the stone.  
The other half of the company made it to relative safety. He envied them as he watched for an opening, praying to anyone listening that he would make it out of this alive, that he would see his round green door again.  
His pleas went unheard as he realized with a jolt that the head of the giant had been knocked clean off, and now they were approaching the side of the mountain at a speed much too quick to be considered healthy.  
He couldn't even cry out as he stared wide eyed at the rocks, all the blood draining from his face.  
Everything went dark, and for a blessed moment there was no pain.  
Then he hit something hard (rock, he was guessing) and he groaned.  
Light returned to his field of vision and he sighed in relief as he realized he wasn't dead, that he was, in fact, still living.  
The relief faded the moment that the surface he was curled up on was too narrow to support his body the way it was laying, and he slid almost gracefully over the edge.  
There was a ringing in his ears that he realized was the aftermath of someone's cry (he figured it had been Kili or Thorin when the sound echoed back and he made out the name "Fili!")  
Finally someone realized he was missing and he heard people shouting his name, calling for him, Fili and Kili for each other, and then the stone blurred in front of him and he found himself on firm ground again. Thank the gods because he hadn't been sure he could hang on much longer.  
It had happened in a blur.  
He hadn't yet gathered his wits before Thorin was scolding him like he was just a fauntling. He only heard about half the words however, because his focus was trained on two large wolves just over the king's shoulder.  
Thorin finally turned away with a look of disgust before motioning for Dwalin to check out the cave conveniently in front of them.  
Just before the black-haired dwarf stepped inside, Bilbo heard him growl, "Don't take too long. It's still raining," to the two furry creatures.  
They seemed to ignore him. The deep chocolate brown wolf was licking the side of the golden one's face, while the latter stared at Bilbo with eerily human like blue orbs. Then his attention was stolen away as the slightly taller wolf nearly tackled the other, a bark of what the hobbit could only describe as happiness coming from it.  
"Is that..." Bilbo asked in a strangled voice.  
"Fili and Kili, yes," Bofur said with a small smile, "Come now, they'll be along soon enough, lets get you dry."  
Despite the fact that their interactions were fascinating, and the hobbit would have much rather stayed, the rain be damned, he knew that the boys needed a private moment to reassure themselves that the other was alive, so he let himself be lead into the thankfully dry space.  
What couldn't have been more than a few minutes later, the two entered, their hair and clothes steaming from what Bilbo could only assume was their increased body temperatures. Everyone else was a bit miserable and cold, but the two of them seemed jovial enough, Kili with his arm slung around his brother and a smile on his face.  
"Let's get a fire going," Dwalin said, but Thorin quickly interrupted.  
"No, not in this place. We move out at first light."  
"But Gandalf said to wait for him," Bilbo piped up, his attention drawn away from the brothers with dismay as he caught the exiled king's words.  
"He will catch up," Thorin answered shortly, ending the discussion.  
Bilbo could see where Fili got his conversation tactics from.  
The hobbit watched the young princes as they settled down, and then quickly lay his bedroll out near them. If there was no fire to be had, then he was going to sleep closest the best heat source, and that seemed to be Fili and Kili for the time being.  
They didn't seem to mind, ignoring him for the most part, as the brunette grumbled about the newly torn hole in his coat. Bilbo wasn't sure if it was from the stone giants or his shift, but Dori immediately held his hand out for it (almost as if he'd done this many times before), and Kili shrugged it off his shoulders, letting the elder Ri brother take it to the younger. Ori stitched it in no time, eyeing it critically for a moment before throwing it to its owner across the small expanse of the cave.  
Kili nodded his thanks, and the scribe rolled his eyes, signing something in what Bilbo had come to recognize as another secret dwarf language. He'd yet worked up the courage to ask about it, but seeing as Thorin clearly disapproved of him and wanted him gone, he wasn't sure if he'd ever get the chance to ask.  
He didn't really know he'd been considering leaving until he noticed a hole in his own jacket. He examined it for a moment, before wondering if he could sew it himself. He caught Ori whisper something to Dori, pointing to the article of clothing, before the older of the two shook his head, muttering, "Thorin would disapprove."  
Well, that settled. If the rest of the company was going to follow their leader (as well they should, he was their king and Bilbo really didn't belong, he knew it just as well as they did), then he would burden them no longer. (Maybe he wasn't as good to his word as he'd thought?)  
Bofur was on watch as he climbed to his feet that night, carefully packing his things. He had hoped that no one would notice, but just before he made his escape, the guard spoke up.  
"Where do you think you're going?"  
Of course, they had to have an awkward conversation about how he wasn't one of the company, and that he already had a home, in which he succeeded in offending the dwarves yet again, but thankfully it was ended abruptly when the floor caved out from under them.  
Bilbo let out a strangled yelp of surprise, wincing each time he collided against a tunnel wall. They fell for what felt like forever, but was probably less than a minute, and when they landed, he barely caught sight of the two golden eyed brothers fighting to stay with each other and their uncle before he lost everyone in the crowd of goblins, barely able to stay upright with the way that he was jostled about.  
He thought about trying to slip away, but where in heavens name would he go except over the edge? That hardly seemed any more desirable than his current predicament.  
"We brought the prisoners your malevolence!" sneered a goblin towards the front of the pack, "found 'em on the front porch!"  
Bilbo wasn't sure who he was talking to until the pile of what he'd assumed was trash or something even less desirable turned out to be the King of the Goblins.  
"Who dares come armed into my kingdom?!" he bellowed, and the hobbit grimaced as the creature stood, revealing a full ten to twelve feet of disgusting.  
The goblins were searching them for any weapons. When they located, the elven sword Gandalf had given him, Bilbo felt strangely naked without it. He watched helpless as they tore it from him and he was left defenseless.  
"We were just traveling through to visit relatives!" someone shouted, and the hobbit recognized Bofur's voice, "See,were were on this road, well, not really a road, more of a path really, well, not even really a path, sort of a trail, and anyway, we were on this trail-"  
"Enough!" the Goblin King roared, "If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Start with the youngest!"  
Bofur glanced behind him, his terrified face betraying how nervous he really was, but Thorin quickly stepped forward, "What we are doing is no business of yours!"  
But the Great Goblin was too busy staring at something that had captured his interest much more.  
"Those eyes... are the legends true?" he breathed.  
Bilbo turned to see Kili staring up at the fat blubbery creature, his yellow irises clearly visible while Fili snarled at the goblins who had realized the brunette was the one with the least years under his belt, the blonde's blue orbs matching his brothers.  
"Thorin Oakenshield... you have brought your heirs?" the Goblin King snorted, "I know someone who would pay a pretty price for their heads... and yours. Mind you, just the head. Nothing attached."  
Bilbo swallowed convulsively.  
"The pale orc... certainly you remember him. He'll find this information very valuable, I'm sure. The legend of Durin's line... who knew that it is not, in fact, a fable!"  
"Azog... died of his wounds long ago!" Thorin shouted back, confusion and anger overtaking his features.  
"Mmm," was the creatures only response, his eyes alight with glee, "Oh, I'm sensing that we here in Goblin Town are going to have some fun this evening! Bring out the cages! Thorin Oakenshield, you will tell me of your purpose soon enough!"  
"Never," Thorin growled.  
But his face visibly paled as he watched five or six goblins wrestle his nephews into the front of the group.  
Bilbo didn't think he'd ever felt more useless as he watched the young dwarves pinned down, and two small iron cages brought in front of them.  
They were shoved inside. There were spikes lining the entire interior, but it was large enough for them to stand comfortably. They could probably have sat as well, but much more than that and they would be skewered.  
There was silence for a moment while Bilbo stared on in confusion. This didn't look very torturous to him; they'd have to wait for several hours before those boys tired out enough to even prick themselves.  
But the plan became obvious when Thorin was grabbed as well, shackled and forced to his knees.  
Fili's expression was murderous as he watched his uncle being manhandled, but Kili was growling, his lips pulled back over sharpening teeth.  
Oh. _OH._  
Even if the cages were just the right size for dwarves in their normal forms, if the princes shifted at all, they'd be too wide and those rusty iron stakes would slice right through them.  
"So tell, me, o' great king without a mountain, what goal lies at the end of this current journey?"


	4. Chapter 4: Goblin Tunnels

A/N: Hi! Thanks to everyone who's read this, the comments and favorites are really appreciated! Sorry about the long wait, I was on vacation, and then school started and blah blah. This story has a little more crack than the other chapters, but it seemed appropriate. Since its been so long I figured I would post a long chapter to make up for it! Enjoy! :)

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Bilbo had been sure that Kili would be the one who shifted first. It wasn't meant to be an insult against the lads control, but he had always been the quicker to anger of the two.

But as the questioning started in earnest and Thorin was slashed with a knife that hardly looked sanitary, Fili was the one who began kicking and shaking the door to the cage, trying his best to break the metal lock and free himself.

The hobbit watched the entire scene with growing horror as the front of the black-haired dwarf's shirt was torn open and the point of the weapon shoved deeper and deeper into the muscle directly under his collar-bone.

Thorin somehow kept silent, glaring at the Goblin King with an intensity that made Bilbo glad that the look was not directed at him. It was an expression that promised death, a message in his eyes that could only be read as wishing the wretched creature in front of them the worst possible fate.

"What are you intending to do, Thorin Oakenshield?" the Great Goblin roared once again.

The dwarf simply bowed his head, his posture stiffening as the blade was pushed in halfway to the hilt.

"Fili, Kili, pay no mind to this fool. His brain is obviously addled if he thinks to best us," Thorin spoke through clenched teeth, but his voice still echoed around the cavern.

His elder sister-son relaxed only marginally at his words while the other completely ignored them. Kili had his eyes closed and his ears plugged, his lips moving as he (was he singing? It almost sounded like he was humming the song they'd belted out in Bag-End while tossing his dishes) in a rushed and slighty off melody, like a fauntling frightened of a thunderstorm, while Fili's golden eyes reflected the fire off the torches. The blonde prince was breathing heavily, rubbing his handing up and down his arms as if that would keep himself in his present form.

"Wait!" the vomit inducing creature shouted from atop his throne, "We cannot continue the show with one member of our audience so indisposed! How impolite of us. You there, poke him to make sure he's still with us."

The goblin that had been gestured to grinned with glee and hefted his spear, jabbing it through the bars in Kili's cage. It easily ripped through fabric and connected with skin just below the hem of his leather overcoat. The brunette's yellow eyes were open in a flash, his hands now needed to steady himself instead of blocking the noise. The Great Goblin apparently found this reaction extremely pleasing, if his laughter was any indication.

"Now, where were we?"

Their captor was paused once again from his torture of Thorin however, as Fili lost it. Apparently the injury to his brother, no matter how slight,(which it seemed to be. There was no great amount of red leaking from the tear in Kili's clothes) was something the blonde could not tolerate. He slammed his hands against the bars, snarling at any goblin who dared step closer to the cage, bones creaking and muscles rearranging.

"Fili, no!" the younger brother tried to get his older sibling's attention, but the latter didn't seem to hear, "I'm alright, I'm fine, don't-"

But it was too late. He jerked forward, his body trying to force him down, onto all fours, which sent his calf straight onto one of the spikes behind him. It made a long gash as he moved, forcing a small groan from his throat.

Bilbo winced in sympathy as the blood began to pour. Thorin was struggling, fighting against the chains he was bound in, while Kili pleaded with his brother to keep calm, focus, think about something else, anything else (which happened to be the very same advice that the hobbit had heard given to the brunette not too many days prior.)

Suddenly there was a blinding flash of light and everything dissolved to silence for a few blissful moments.

Gandalf's voice pierced the air, "To arms! Fight!"

Immediately the dwarves began to stir, tossing weapons to each other as the goblins struggled to get out from under one another, fumbling to keep their prisoners from escaping. Bilbo was handed his elvish letter opener, and before he knew it, there were creatures all around him and he was slashing his blade at empty spaces in front of him. He realized after a moment that he was really doing more harm than good, as the dwarves were keeping most of the enemies away, so instead he ducked his head and rushed along with the rest of them, doing what hobbits did best: keep out of the way.

Well, maybe that was second or third best, since eating and cooking probably came first, and gardening, but that was a given-

His fear driven mental rant cut off as a large, limping golden wolf stopped him dead in his tracks. The animal had a goblin in its teeth and threw it off the precarious walkway that the company was making its way across. The hobbit gave silent thanks as a brown wolf joined after a second, glad that the brother had somehow escaped the cages.

Everyone was very obviously fighting to the best of their abilities as they followed the wizard. There seemed to be a bubble of protection around a certain pair of brothers as the elder hobbled along faster than Bilbo thought possible, trying to keep the weight off one of his back legs even as he battled alongside the rest of them. Gandalf lead them through the twisting passageways until they came to a large bridge where Bilbo narrowly avoided slamming into Kili's furry shoulder as they all came to an abrupt halt.

"HA!" The Goblin King swung his staff in front of him, narrowly missing the dwarves at the front of the group, "I was right! The curse of Durin's line is real!"

Mithrandir simply glared up at the creature as he continued to give a wheezing chuckle.

"What are you going to do now, wizard?"

Gandalf did not disappoint.

He let his sword do the talking, slashing the blade across the Great Goblin's stomach and neck.

"Well, that'll do it," was the last thing Bilbo heard before they were falling and he was barely hanging on to the side of the structure, hoping they wouldn't die before they hit the bottom. Fili and Kili's whimpering echoed in his ears as well as the whistling of the wind and the shouts of the other dwarves as they all no doubt contemplated the looming death before them.

They slid to a stop just before slamming to the stone floor, making the landing much easier than anticipated.

"Well, that could have been worse," Bofur said cheerfully.

A couple of the dwarves had a few choice words for him as soon as the dead leader of the grotesque creatures that lived in the underground caverns landed right on top of them, including Ori's exclamation of, "Thank you very much, Bofur, for jinxing it."

Well then. Bilbo had never realized how sassy Ori could be when he wanted. Mental note taken.

All thoughts of dwarves and their attitudes fled however when he saw the hoard of goblins rushing towards them, "Gandalf!"

"Daylight! It's the only thing that can save us now!" the wizard bellowed.

The dwarves immediately launched upright to resume running down the twisting and turning pathways through the ragged rock (hardy bunch they were, how in Eru's name did they manage to recover so quickly?), and Bilbo quickly found himself straggling behind.

Which was not something great considering the oppressing darkness that surrounded them.

He lost sight of Dori, the last dwarf in the line, much too soon. He was too far into the tunnels to have any idea where to head next, and there was no pinprick of light ahead to indicate which direction the company might have gone.

The hobbit never stopped however. He supposed the was something of an achievement considering how terrified he was, but that fear was what spurred him on. If the goblins caught up to him...

A wall ran into him (no, he most certainly had not run into the wall) quite suddenly and he was forced onto his backside in a sudden whoosh of air.

"Oh for the love of..." Bilbo trailed off, as his hand brushed something cold and possibly metallic, "... What is this?"

He clumsily wrapped his fingers around the object, surprised to find it was a ring. What was a piece of jewelry doing in a place like this?

"We must finds it, we must!" a strange voice echoed down the tunnel to Bilbo, and he shot to his furry feet, fumbling against the stone to find which direction the path curved.

He wasn't sure to whom or what the words had belonged to, but there was a sinking feeling in his gut that said he didn't want to know.

"It was here, we dropses it here, we must have!" the thing or person or creature or... whatever, hissed, "We can'ts find it anywhere else!"

What was it looking for?

Oh.

The ring in Bilbo's pocket was suddenly heavy as he stumbled down the tunnel, trying to get away. Something pulled at him, told him it would be bad for everyone, if whatever was speaking discovered what was in his pocket. Besides, it was _his _now, he'd found it...

He glanced behind him (mistake, big mistake) and saw a pair of luminescent eyes glaring at him through the darkness.

"Thief! Thief, it musts have the precious!" the creature shouted, pausing to cough, "gollum, gollum!"

When something slammed into his back and knocked him to the ground, a shriek escaped his lips. It bounced around the cavern and Bilbo winced, hoping that no goblins heard the sound.

"Where is it?!" the thing practically screamed in his face as it flipped him around.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" Bilbo answered, a bit of his respectable side showing as he tried to reason with whatever was sitting on his chest, "I am a simple hobbit, Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, I could not possibly have something you've lost!"

"Thief!" it screeched again, either because it recognized the lie or because it was extremely single-minded.

An excited yip was all the warning Bilbo had before the weight on his chest was gone and the sound of the creature crying out in anger and pain mixed with something snarling filled the air. And then a familiar fur brushed up against his face when he tried to sit up.

"Fili?" the hobbit asked, hoping it wasn't the injured blonde dwarf.

He received a huff in response that he took as a no.

"Kili then," he said, and the aforementioned shape-shifter licked his cheek, "Augh, was that really necessary?"

The wolf made a sound almost like a laugh that Bilbo ignored, using the thick coat of his friend to pull himself upright, hoping that he wasn't hurting the dwarf. When there was no yelp or whimper he assumed he hadn't injured anyone and clutched at the fur that much more.

"Are you here to lead me out?" and then more hesitantly, "you didn't kill that thing did you?"

He probably should have figured out that Kili couldn't very well respond in the state he was now in, but the hobbit ignored his blunder, instead focusing on where to put his feet as the wolf began to walk forward.

So, apparently they'd sent someone in to rescue him. It was nice to know at least Kili valued their burglars life enough to reenter the goblin tunnels.

They had been walking for an indiscriminate amount of time when a faint roar of "Bagginses, thief! We hates it! We hates it forever!" reverberated through the stone walls to hit Bilbo's ear, giving an unexpected answer to his second question.

He could feel Kili shift uncomfortably under his finger tips, probably wondering what in Middle Earth that thing could have been. Considering the hobbit didn't know either, he simply patted the wolf, hoping that conveyed his message well enough.

When light shined across his face unexpectedly, he gave a short laugh, happy to see the sun once more. The folk of the Shire were not meant for spending long periods underground, that much was certain.

He raced down the hill face, pausing only long enough to stop himself from tumbling head over heels by latching onto low hanging tree branches to stop his momentum.

The company of dwarves was startled by a sprinting Bilbo who would have passed them entirely if Balin hadn't reached out to catch him.

"You're alive!" came the joyful shout of Gandalf.

"Well, yes of course," the hobbit frowned, "I was only on my own for a bit before Kili found me."

"But we lost you. We thought the goblins had caught up to you," Ori said, looking upset at the prospect.

"No, no they did not. There was something else but-" before Bilbo could explain about the creature and the ring he had found, he noticed that someone was missing, "Were is Kili? He was just here a moment ago."

"He's gone into the woods to change a moment," Fili provided from where he was slouched against a tree, looking pale as Oin wrapped a bandage around his calf.

For a brief second the hobbit was confused (why would Kili need to put on different clothes?) until he remember where he was and who he was with.

How had his life gone from seven meals a day and a leisurely walk through his quaint village to being attacked by creatures he didn't even have a name for and rescued by a dwarf who could change his shape into a large wolf?

The sun was starting to set when Kili made his way back to the group. It was true, he was wearing a different set of travelling gear, but most notably, he was a dwarf again. The brothers were both in new tunics and jackets, likely since their old ones were left behind in the golbin tunnels. The fabric looked very similar to that of their previous outfits, which made Bilbo think they had made sure to bring plenty extra to prepare for a situation such as this.

"Thank you for saving me, Master Dwarf," the hobbit gave a strange little bow to the dwarven prince.

"It was nothing," Kili answered breezily, "Couldn't let you bumble around on your own looking for a way out, and since I was the only one who could smell the trail we'd taken, I volunteered to go."

What went unsaid was that Fili was too injured and Thorin probably had opted to leave the halfling behind rather than risk his nephew life.

Gandalf gave Thorin a reproachful glance as if to back up Bilbo's thoughts.

The sky was gradually darkening, something worrisome considering that daylight had been the only thing to save them from the goblins. Would those disgusting creatures try to find them once the sun had completely disappeared and they could come outside?

He realized the company had worse things to worry about when a howl reached his ears, piercing and long.

It took the panicked looks of his companions to make him figure out why the sound was familiar.

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire," Gandalf grumbled, "Hurry and finish Oin, then we will need to run!"

The healer of the group quickly tied the bandage off, patting Fili on the shoulder as he tried to stand upright. He limped a few steps as the rest began their trek.

Bilbo opened his mouth to protest that the others wait, that someone help the blonde dwarf get to safety when Kili slipped his brothers arm around his shoulder, moving awkwardly to keep his shorter sibling upright as they made their way over rocks and through the trees.

His attention was torn from the two as he struggled to save his own life, breath pounding in and out of his body with such force that his throat felt raw within seconds.

He was the last to notice that the forest ended in a cliff, the last up in the branches (although that was partly the fault of the young brothers as he watched to make sure Fili made it up still intact and the fault of a warg at the front of the pack), and the last to jump onto the tree furthest towards the cliff as all the others fell.

When Fili tossed at burning pine cone in his general direction, he was surprised to find he'd caught it, immediately launching it at one of the snarling creatures.

HIs triumph didn't last long however (when did it ever?) as the tree began to tip, taking ten dwarves, three skinchangers, one hobbit and one wizard with it.

Poor Ori gave a cry of fear as his grip faltered, and he slipped, barely catching Dori's boot as his brother struggled to hang on.

"Gandalf!" The elder brother begged, "Do something!"

The wizard looked as if he was going to reassure them when the leader of their company did something incredibly stupid.

He vaulted onto the burning log, storming down it so majestically that Bilbo would have been surprised if it hadn't hit some of them in that moment that this was their _king,_ this was _Thorin Oakenshield_, and he was on his way to reclaim his homeland.

He shifted so quickly that the hobbit almost missed it due to a blink, and then a black wolf, just a shade smaller than the wargs surrounding him was leaping at the pale orc, teeth flashing.

All of the former sentiment disappeared when Thorin was slammed to the ground by the white warg, its teeth connecting with the skin just behind his ear.

Thorin gave a strangled yelp, but fought it off, climbing to his feet just in time to receive the orcs mace in the side. He was thrown onto a small pile of rock with bruising force, blood seeping from multiple wounds.

As the enemy formed a circle around the king without his mountain, Bilbo knew he had to do something. Dwalin was struggling to get to land, his branch creaking dangerously. Fili was most of the way up but his injury kept him from making as much progress as he probably could have. He couldn't tell what any of the other dwarves were doing, but he had a sinking feeling it was down to him.

He squared his shoulders, jumped lightly onto the piece of wood that a moment ago had been the only thing keeping him from certain death, raced down the trunk and threw himself at the orc who had been advancing towards Thorin.

The creature fought back but was killed much easier than anticipated. Unfortunately, there were still several of the enemy whom could have taken him out at any instance if it weren't for Fili, Kili and Dwalin who had somehow joined the fight.

Twin swords flashed, the sound of bone crunching under the warriormasters hammer became prominent and wargs gave pitiful whines as they were cut down. The dwarves were barely making any headway, despite their efforts. There were just too many enemies.

So when the Eagles swooped in, some throwing the riders and their mounts off the cliff while others rescued the dwarves as they began dropping like flies from the fallen tree, they were easily welcomed.

Bilbo suspected Gandalf was behind it, but he wasn't exactly given the opportunity to ask the birds before one of them picked him up and tossed him onto the back of another.

He clung just as tightly to the feathers of this eagle as he had to Kili's fur in the goblin tunnels. He didn't really want to think of how far it was to the ground.

They flew all night, landing on a strange stone formation as the sun began to awaken from its sleep. Thorin had long been out cold, still in his wolf form. That settled another curiosity of Bilbo's - if they fell unconscious while in one form, they would stay that way.

As the Eagles dropped the dwarves off one by one, Gandalf knelt over Thorin, concern in his features.

Fili dug in his pack for a moment and handed his brother a blanket. The brunette rushed forward, laying it carefully over his uncle as the youngest nephew examined Thorin's face for any signs of life.

The wizard began to mutter, passing a wrinkled hand over the slack face of their king.

Whatever magic Gandalf had used, it worked, because Thorin opened his eyes with a grunt, his fur slipping into skin as he returned to the black-haired brooding dwarf Bilbo had come to know on the journey.

That dwarf stood, against the advice of his companions, struggling to face the hobbit with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

Needless to say, it lessened the effect of the glare that came to be directed at him.

"You!" he panted, "What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed!"

A few of the dwarves he had come to think of as friends or at least acquaintances looked upset by the anger behind these words, namely Kili, Fili, Ori and Balin.

The others just seemed confused or like they agreed with him, which wasn't reassuring in the slightest.

"Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild?" Thorin growled, stepping closer to Bilbo even as the hobbit backed away, "That you had no place amongst us?"

Bilbo glanced down at his feet, trying to swallow past the lump in his throat. He'd been trying, he really had. He wasn't even afraid of Kili and Fili anymore, not now that he knew what caused the sense of danger he'd sensed in them at the beginning of the journey. Didn't that count for anything?

"I have never been so wrong, in all my life," Thorin pulled him into an awkward one-armed hug, the other holding the fabric around his body in place.

He should have known something like that would have happened. The entire journey had been unexpected, why would this be any different?

The rest of the company cheered, even those whom he'd thought hadn't liked him much. It was enough to warm any hobbits heart as he let the dwarf king embrace him.

"I am sorry I doubted you," Thorin stepped away from him.

"No, no, I would have doubted me too," he protested, "I'm not a hero, or a warrior. I'm not even a burglar."

He directed this last part at the wizard, because he was not a thief (not at all, no matter what that strange little creature had said back in the goblin tunnels), but he was soon forgotten as the dwarves all began to stare at something over his shoulder.

Their gaze was directed over his head, at something in the distance, so he turned and nearly lost his breath when he saw what lay before them.

"Is that..." he whispered.

"Erebor," Thorin glanced down at him and then back at the mountain, "Our home."

The hobbit wasn't sure how long they stayed there, just looking at their goal. He couldn't help but think that maybe... just maybe the worst was behind them.

He was soon proved wrong, that very night as they sat around the campfire.

It had been a peaceful afternoon, no sign of any enemies. Thorin had put on some clothes and was recovering the best he could, resting against his pack. Fili had been instructed to sit as well as Oin properly stitched the wound, putting some poultice on it before wrapping another set of bandages around the gash. The blonde had been stoic throughout the process, his face surprisingly calm even if it was too pale. He seemed removed from the situation, Kili's winces as his brother squeezed his hand the only indication that he was in pain.

Darkness fell quickly enough. They'd found a way off the rock, (the Carrock as Gandalf had told them it was named), but opted to leave in the morning instead to give the company time to heal. They'd gotten a large fire going, laughing and telling stories as if the night before they hadn't been facing their death at the hands of an orc they'd all previously thought dead.

Bombur had made excellent stew despite their lack of resources (they'd lost much of their food to the goblins), and it was while they were happily slurping it down that things turned sour.

Kili stiffened next to his brother on the rock they'd been sitting on. His story of how he'd accidentally caught the forge on fire while trying to play a trick on Dwalin was cut off mid-sentence, and his spoon dropped back into his bowl with a splash.

"Kili?" Fili asked at the same time as Thorin questioned, "Are you injured?"

The brunette shook his head, staring into the fire with his brow furrowed, offering no other explanation. He looked extraordinarily like his uncle in that moment, Bilbo noticed.

Everyone had relaxed again, and Fili picked up the story where the other had dropped off, since his brother was clearly too caught up in whatever was troubling him to continue. The other dwarves of the company seemed to play it off as one of the oddities that often happened around those of Durin's line.

The blonde hadn't gotten more than than a minute or two into the tale when Kili took in a sharp breath through clenched teeth, the loud clatter of his stew dropping to stone making everyone pause as it splashed everywhere.

Bilbo, who had been sitting near the brothers, was about to reprimand the younger as he wiped a bit of broth off his trousers, only to stop short when he caught sight of the look on Kili's face.

He was staring at his hand like it belonged to someone else as bones shifted underneath the skin, fingers curling and twisting at unnatural angles.

Kili glanced up at his brother first and then his uncle, panic clear in his expression.

For some reason, the brunette fixed his gaze on Bilbo next, whom, on some unknown impulse, turned to check the moon.

Kili's eyes followed his.

And then all the blood drained out of the dwarf's face as he scrambled backwards, away from the company and his brother, "No, no, no..."

Bilbo's heart sank as he took in the sight of the full moon hanging low, its bright light mocking them from above.

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A/N: Buh, buh, buh! Dramatice ending. In this fic, the company got to Bilbo's house a night or two after the full moon, meaning that it's been almost a month since they left the Shire. Hope you enjoyed, comments appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5: Full Moon

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You guys def. motivated me to get this up, so hopefully you enjoy this chapter! There's a few wierdly written sections, sorry ahead of time. Please comment and favorite, all that jazz, I really appreciate it knowing what you guys think! :)

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Bilbo watched the blonde pull his brother back to the group with a detached sense of horror.

Fili yanked his brother's boots off even as Kili shrugged his shoulders out of his jacket, both of their movements jerky and rushed. The blonde reached for the clasp in the younger's hair, obviously trying to gently untangle it, but the brunette jerked away, clutching at his ribs as his breathing stuttered.

The elder sibling was left holding the silver piece, his expression deliberately unreadable as he pulled at the dark strands that had stuck in the metal.

Kili had gotten to his feet, backpedaling for a few steps until he suddenly stopped, raw fear in his expression as his eyes began to glow in the golden color Bilbo associated with the three heirs of Durin.

"Gandalf, is there anything you can do?" Thorin questioned quietly.

"No, Master Dwarf, there is not," the wizard answered sadly, "Nothing at all. I hesitate to mention this at a time such as now, but I must scout on ahead. I shall be back by sunrise, but this has to be done if we are to make the next leg of our journey successfully."

"Fine, since you are of no help in any other way," the king retorted with a derisive snort.

Gandalf simply shook his head, making his way down to the steps. There was something he wasn't telling them, but Bilbo couldn't put his finger on what.

His attention was stolen from the wizard when Kili spoke.

"I'm sorry," the brunette whispered as if he hadn't heard the previous exchange, "I-"

His words ended abruptly, and for a second it was as if everyone held their breath. The hobbit saw Fili hunch into himself, noticed the way Dwalin leaned closer to his King, how Ori's hands crept up to cover his ears. That should have given him some indication, some kind of warning, but even Kili's rasping inhale wasn't enough to prepare him for the loud snap of bone and the pain filled cry.

And then there were too many ripping and breaking sounds for him to keep track of. He didn't dare look, afraid of what he would see. This was nothing like he'd witnessed before, when they'd shifted in times previous.

When another howl of agony pierced the air, Fili shot to his feet. He stepped towards his brother, clearly unable to take it anymore.

Thorin gave his elder nephew a pointed look, to which the blonde responded, "I can calm him."

When the younger dwarf's uncle didn't waver, FIli hissed, "Are you just going to leave him? You know I can control him, he won't hurt me."

Thorin glanced down at the flames for a moment before giving the blonde a permissive nod. That was all Fili needed to be out of his coat and tunic as well, sliding to his knees next to the crumpled pile that was his brother.

The elder of the two began murmuring something Bilbo couldn't make out as Kili's shout faded to a wolfish whimper. It only took two or three heartbeats of silence for what had been a writhing dwarf to lunge upright, muscles quivering slightly with the effort it took to stand after so much pain.

Bilbo's eyes widened as what used to be Kili rose, a low growl rumbling from its throat as it faced the blonde, lips curled back against sharp, glistening teeth, golden eyes scarily blank.

This was not the wolf that had played with his brother after the thunder battle, nor the one who had fought side by side with the dwarves in the goblin tunnels.

This was a hunter, a predator who enjoyed the kill. Something distinctly inhuman, something that wouldn't hesitate to tear Bilbo to pieces if it so desired.

He wasn't sure how he understood all that from a glance, but the defensive way Fili was holding himself in front of the wolf spoke volumes.

The entire company seemed to hold its breath as the chocolate-colored beast stalked forward, stopping just short of the dwarf.

Fili hesitantly reached a hand towards the creature, "Kili, Kee, it's me, it's alright."

_That is **not **your brother!_ Bilbo wanted to scream.

"Fili..." Thorin warned, tension apparent in every part of his body as he leaned towards his nephew.

"Uncle, no-" Fili began, but it was too late.

The wolf had turned his attention towards the dwarves sitting around the fire, hunger in its gaze. Bilbo could have sworn he saw it smile before it slunk towards them, its gaze searching for the weakest member.

When the beast focused on Ori, Thorin stood with some difficulty, stepping between the sling shot wielding dwarf and the wolf, "Do not hurt him unless you have to, understood?"

Everyone in the company nodded, conflict clear on everyone's face except Dori's. He'd pulled his weapon from his back, clearly willing to do whatever damage he felt necessary to protect his youngest brother.

Dwalin was the next to move, joining his king, likely to try to take the worst of the hits since Thorin was still injured.

The wolf caught that movement and took the opportunity to leap at the warriormaster, a loud and malicious snarl the only indication of the incoming threat.

Dwalin reacted quickly, throwing himself to block Thorin, but a moment before impact, a golden wolf met the darker, knocking him aside.

The brown wolf's teeth snapped around the foreleg of the other, and Fili let out a yelp as both of them tumbled to the ground. BIlbo squinted to try to see through the darkness to the other side of the Carrock where the fight was continuing.

He could hear another collision and then a whine from one of the two, he couldn't tell which. They came closer to the light and the hobbit could see that Fili was bleeding heavily from a wound on his front leg, awkwardly hobbling as he tried to keep weight off both his back limb and the newly injured one.

The darker of the two was sporting a gash along his right shoulder, probably from Fili on accident when the elder had tried to deter the hunter.

There was a sense of confusion between the wolves now, for reasons Bilbo couldn't fathom. A whine came from the golden wolf that was echoed by the dark. Fili gave a short huff and then howled, not a sound of pain, but challenging.

Bilbo winced, waiting for impact as a brown blur darted towards his brother.

Instead of a fight, as the hobbit had been expecting, it had circled the golden wolf, playfully nipping at his tail until Fili decided he'd had enough and gave a sharp bark in warning.

Curious, Bilbo wondering if Kili had remembered himself, but the eyes were still blank. The hunger for blood was still in the glowing orb, but there was something else there too, a sort of understanding.

"Fili," Thorin said, putting all his discomfort, concern and worry into that one word.

The golden wolf turned and seemed to give him an exasperated look before nosing the darker towards the edge of the Carrock. There they both curled up, and began licking their own injuries.

"Are we... are we safe?" Ori squeaked.

"Fili seems to have claimed us as his pack. He identified himself as my second in command. Kili would have to first fight me, and then Fili, to get what he wants, something he seems to have identified as impossible. He's opted instead for the more friendly approach, probably to get us to give what he identifies as prey willingly."

Bilbo shivered at Thorin's words, recognizing them as true. The brown wolf was eyeing the company, but he seemed to know they were off-limits.

The rest of the night passed relatively quietly. Whenever the darker would become too interested in the company again, Fili would distract him with a bit of a play fight, the two of them rolling around loud enough to wake Bilbo at least once (he wasn't sure how he was managing to sleep, but he supposed the fact that he was absolutely exhausted had something to do with it). They never actually broke skin, and the brown wolf steered clear of Fili's injuries, but from the way they clashed against each other sometimes, Bilbo knew they'd both have some spectacular bruises come morning.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been out when he startled awake to the sound of a yelping wolf. The sharp sound hurt Bilbo's ears as much as the light of dawn his eyes. He blinked, rubbing away sleep as he took in the sight of the sun rising up over the horizon.

The moon was gone from the sky, and with a jolt, the hobbit realized why the wolf was making those strange, almost human, whimpering noises.

By the time Bilbo caught sight of the brothers, the brown wolf was curled up on the ground, his forelegs pawing at his head as if trying to claw away the pain that reverberated there.

Fili was gently nosing his brother, but seemed resigned to the fact that he could do nothing as the noises of the night before began again, pulling a long whine from creature's throat that gradually turned into a groan. The ordeal seemed shorter this time around, and before Bilbo knew it, Kili was on the ground, his chest heaving.

Steam rose from his body for a minute or two until his temperature regulated itself, and then he shivered, bare skin vulnerable in the early morning air.

Nobody seemed to know what to say until Dwalin slid out of his bedroll, snatching Kili's coat from where it had been resting across the top of a stone. He strode out to the brunette, laying the jacket across the lad.

When he turned to see everyone gawking at him, he growled, "It's just Kili. Remember the boy who loves apple pies so much he fell off your roof trying to get one, Bombur? And the one who drank too much ale at Fili's coming of age party? Gimli dragged him to your house, Gloin because it would have been all our hides if Dis had found out we let him have that many mugs. _That_ is who you are afraid of now."

A tiny snore came from the pile of limbs next to the still shifted Fili as if to prove Dwalin's point.

No one said anything, but Bilbo could tell they all felt even the slightest bit ashamed.

"Let us get some breakfast going. We move out within the hour," Thorin commanded in a low tone, "Keep it quiet."

The company burst into a flurry of activity, surprisingly silent. Neither dwarf or the wolf brother woke while food was made, the camp packed and bowls set aside for the wizard, and the two of them.

Gandalf eventually made his way back, a little later than he'd said, but that was something Bilbo had come to expect.

Too soon, in the hobbits opinion, Thorin was shaking Kili awake. He immediately bolted upright in a flailing of limbs, successfully startling the golden wolf next to him to awareness with a kick to the ribs. The dwarf mumbled something sleepily, frowning up at his uncle, who answered and pointed to the coat.

The brunette clutched the jacket tighter around himself when he realized it was the only thing covering him.

"... Could someone toss me my clothes?" Kili's voice was hoarse and hard to understand, but Bilbo responded anyway, seeing as the rest of the dwarves were busy.

He gathered both of the the brother's packs, lugging them over. The brunette was staring dejectedly at the torn tunic Thorin had collected while Bilbo had been struggling with the bags, but he brightened just a bit as the hobbit handed his burden over.

Within a matter of moments (during which Bilbo respectfully turned around. They all laughed at him of course, but bathing once together in a river did not mean he was comfortable with a naked dwarf thank you), Kili was dressed and Fili shifted back, struggling one-handed with his tunic.

Kili went to help his brother, looking concerned as his brother winced, "Are you hurt? I... I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No you didn't," Fili lied easily, "I caught myself on one a jagged stone when we were wrestling and scraped my arm. I'll have Oin look at it if that'd make you feel better."

So Kili didn't remember anything that had happened the night before. Bilbo figured as much, but it was still strange hearing the hesitancy in the young dwarf's voice.

"It would," the brunette confirmed, taking careful steps with his bare feet to get back towards the fire pit, "Did I... I didn't..."

"You didn't hurt anyone else either," Fili supplied.

Kili visibly relaxed at the words, trying for an air of nonchalance as he retied his boots, "Mahal, I'm sore."

"I should think so," Oin finished strapping something to his bag and started towards the brunette, "Anything else?"

Kili yawned, choosing not to answer as the healer sat next to him. At least, that is, until Oin poked him in the side.

"Hey!" he protested, batting the older dwarf away, "Alright, alright, bruised my ribs or something, but I'm fine. Fili's the one with the cut up arm."

"Cut up?" Oin questioned, clearly remembering something different.

"Yes, cut up," Thorin interjected, "Use your ear-trumpet if you can't hear us Oin."

His tone was light, but Bilbo could hear the message behind the words.

_What he doesn't know won't hurt him._

Apparently Kili could hear it as well, because he glanced back and forth between his uncle and the healer, confused.

"Fili, get your wounds bound. Then both of you eat so that we can start moving."

The blonde dwarf jumped at Thorin's command. He waited to roll up his sleeve until Kili was occupied with his food, and only then did Bilbo see the deep gashes vaguely in the shape of teeth that formed a crescent moon from the wrist to elbow top and bottom. They weren't bleeding anymore, and looked to have started the healing process (did they heal faster than a normal dwarf would?), but they were still at risk for infection.

Oin quickly slathered a paste he had at the ready onto Fili's skin, then bandaged the whole area, making a sort of sling for the prince.

Fili looked as if he was going to protest, but Oin shook his head, "Don't even try laddie. You'll be in it for a day or two at most, don't complain."

The blonde grumbled something that Kili laughed about, but then dried jerky was placed in Fili's hands and Thorin urged him to his feet, "That just earned you dried food instead of hot for this morning. Come, we move, we've got to make at least half our normal distance today."

Bombur quickly lifted the cooled pot, scooping out the last of the gravy that the others had put on their hard biscuits, drinking it in one motion. Fili watched the large dwarf with such a deep regret that Bilbo couldn't help but snort in amusement.


	6. Chapter 6: Consequences

A/N: A little bit shorter of a chapter, but we get some of Kili and Fili's perspective! :) In my opinion, I'm happier with the way this chapter was written, but let me know if you guys preferred some of the earlier content.

* * *

Getting down from the Carrock turned out to be a much longer journey than any save Gandalf had anticipated.

It took them most of the morning to make it to the bottom. They took a break then, Thorin and Fili obviously struggling to keep up at the back of the group. Fili happily collapsed against a rock, propping his injured leg up on the stone next to him, while Thorin tried to appear as if nothing were wrong, resting his back against a pile of rubble.

Kili sat closely to his brother, any trace of the jovial dwarf from that morning gone. He'd sobered the longer they walked, trailing behind the company with his brother and uncle instead of joining Bofur's good nature teasing of the hobbit like he normally would have.

Gandalf relaxed several feet away from them, while the rest of the company huddled across the clearing from the other three.

"Ori," Kili called, holding up what looked like a peach to Bilbo, "Found it on the path, neither Fili or I like them, but I know you do. Would you like it?"

Ori's eyes flicked to Dori, who shook his head, glaring at the dark-haired prince before pulling his brother closer into the makeshift shelter he and Nori had formed around the younger Ri brother.

The youngster spoke up after a tense moment, "Uh, no thank you."

Kili had not missed any of the exchange, his posture stiff, but he turned to Bilbo next. His smile hadn't slipped a bit, and he looked almost like he wasn't bothered at all.

"Mr. Baggins?"

"I'd love it, thank you Master Dwarf."

Kili handed it to him, then abruptly got to his feet, heading out into the thick brush.

Thorin sighed as he watched his nephew go, "We stop here for the night. I know we're all tired and recovering... Fili, take Kili and see if you can catch us any game for tonight, and if you have time, scout ahead a little."

Fili nodded to his uncle, obviously grateful for the excuse to run after his sibling.

* * *

"Kili? I don't want to search through half these woods to find you, I know you're hiding. My leg doesn't feel its best right now, so I'd appreciate it if you stop acting like a child," Fili called in a low voice, hoping he was far enough away that the company wouldn't hear him.

He noted the direction Kili's snort came from, limping towards the sound.

"Can I never have a moment of peace?" the brunette grumbled as his brother came to lean against the tree next to him.

"Not when Thorin wants us to come back with something for dinner."

Kili's eyes opened and he stared in confusion at the blonde, "we're setting up camp here?"

"Not much of a choice when our archer storms off in a temper," Fili elbowed him.

"Ouch!" the younger pulled away, cradling his ribs, "if you are not going to leave, you could at least not bruise me any more than I am. And I did not storm off in a temper. I just... needed to get away for a moment."

"If I remember correctly, it's not just bruises," the eldest raised an eyebrow, ignoring the second half of Kili's statement.

"Its-" his protest broke off abruptly as the brunette glared at Fili, "how do you know that?"

"Because I gave it to you," he said, hating how nonchalant he sounded.

"You..." Kili unconsciously held his injured shoulder, where Fili knew he'd accidentally clawed the younger, "Why?"

Fili didn't answer his question, "Just let me take a look. I've got some extra bandages if we need to wrap it-"

"It's fine, already healing," Kili interrupted, eyes narrowed, "What did I do?"

He was met with silence.

"Fili."

"You did not do anything," the blonde deadpanned, "Thorin and I told you that this morning. Now come on, just let me take a look and I'll clean it for you."

"It was something to do with Ori, isn't it? I hurt him?"

"No!" Fili's voice was sharp, "he was just scared, alright? And it was not you, Kili, that is not you!"

Brown eyes settled on the sling, "I hurt _you?_"

"No-"

"Show me!" Kili was practically shouting now, "Show me that it's just a cut and I'll believe you."

When he saw in Fili's expression that he couldn't, the brunette lost it.

"What else did I do?!" he yelled, face furious, "Probably tried to kill everyone in the company! Mahal, Fili, _you told me you'd never lie to me_!"

"I didn't want to, but Thorin wanted to avoid-"

"_What_, scaring them even more? Because I don't think that is possible!"

"_This_!" Fili roared, "he wanted to avoid _this_!"

Shocked into silence, Kili stared at his brother, eyes wide.

"_Now will you let me make sure you're okay, or not_?!"

The brunette was still for two, three, four heartbeats longer before wordlessly shrugging out of one should of his jacket. He unlaced his tunic just enough to pull the fabric away from an angry red line that traveled from the side of his neck to an inch or two below the collar-bone, his expression both annoyed and resigned.

It was healing nicely, but Fili smeared some of Oin's poultice on it anyway, just to prevent infection.

"Don't think you need any bandages," he said, his voice much calmer.

"That's what I told you earlier," Kili answered, sounding more like a petulant dwarfling than someone of 77 years.

To some, that may have angered them further, but Fili knew that if his brother was adopting that tone, he was sorry. He'd never say it, however, at least until the blonde admitted he'd been in the wrong as well.

"Why don't we rest a bit, give your shoulder time to mend a bit more, let my leg rest, and then we can grab some meat for Bombur, eh?"

Kili shot him a small grin, his loose hair partially obscuring his face as he yanked his clothes pack into their proper place.

That reminded him, "Step closer. I forgot I had your hair clasp."

The brunette looked confused before understanding flashed. He turned, and Fili, though a few inches shorter, had the hair in it's proper place within moments. He'd had a lot of practice over the years, after his mother had given up on trying to keep Kili looking clean.

He absolutely refused to wear the braids (they fell out of his hair anyway) so Thorin had made Kili the clasp so that he could still show his status, without the beads. There was his sigil in the silver, the marking showing him as a prince of Durin, brother of Fili, son of Dis, third in line to the throne.

And even though Fili wore the heir's braids, as well as the proper elder brother beads, his uncle had made him a nearly identical hair piece mainly to keep the rest of his hair out of the way. He wasn't really the type for elaborate styles, and anyway, when they were younger, it had made Kili feel a little less guilty about not wearing braids.

Now it was back in place, and the air around them was light and sunny again.

They settled against a tree trunk, Fili groaning under his breath when he stretched the gash on his leg, probably reopening it. He figured it'd be scabbed over by the next morning, but until then, it was going to be a bother.

"Tell me?" Kili asked.

He paused, unwilling to recount what he knew was being asked, then told the younger the entire story, starting from when they made the fire the night before. His brother often forgot pieces of the day before he was forced to shift.

When he was finished, the brunette glanced at the elder, then at the ground, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? You had no control over it."

"But I-_it,_" he corrected when Fili glared at him, "hurt you."

"And I'm the one who made you have to do this every month. I think it's only fair," the elder said honestly.

"It's not fair. And that wasn't your fault anymore than it's mine that Ori's afraid. I'll have to apologize, to him and Dori," Kili gave him a wry grin, "Ah well, maybe it'll build some character. He's fifty years older than us! You'd think he'd learn to take care of himself by now."

"Ori's just been sheltered. He didn't have an uncle like Thorin to throw them in the river out back and yell, 'swim!'" Fili smirked at the memory.

"Yes, yes, I know," the brunette stretched, "that's why I'm going to talk with him instead of getting angry. See, I do have diplomatic skills, or whatever it was Thorin was telling me to have more of."

"Responsibility?"

"No, that was with the ponies, this was earlier, before we left for the Shire. I said something a wee bit unflattering about Lady Toika that her husband heard?"

"Tact."

"Exactly," Kili nodded, "I do have tact."

"Her son beat you senseless."

"And I broke three of his ribs, his nose, dislocated his shoulder and burst his ear drum. I most certainly won that," Kili retorted, "but that's not what's important. I'm treating this situation differently, therefore, I was right. I am learning important things on this journey."

"I think you're just being nice to Ori because you feel guilty enough already," Fili rolled his eyes, knowing the real reason.

"Yes, except I'm doing it with _tact,_" the brunette climbed to a standing position rolling both shoulders, "Ready?"

The elder sighed, but was glad to see his brother back to what passed as normal with him. He reached a hand skyward, and it was immediately clasped by the other, who'd been waiting for it.

"If we must."

"It was a direct order from the King, Fili. Of course we must," Kili checked his bow, loosely nocking an arrow.

"So, someday, when I'm King, you're going to do everything I tell you to?" Fili pulled a throwing knife from inside his jacket.

The brunette turned to look back at him with an expression of utter disgust on his face as his answer.

* * *

A/N: A little bit of fluff to break up all the angst! Comments, favorite, follows, everything is appreciated and helps motivate me to write. Thank you so much for reading!


	7. Chapter 7: Not Alone

A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry for the long delay between chapters, the Kili to my Fili was sick (she neglected to tell anyone how much pain she was in until she passed out in the restaurant... sound familiar to anyone?) and then school caught up to me. A little bit shorter of a chapter than normal, and I'm not super happy with it (it's a bit rough, apologies), but it'll have to do. Thank you to everyone who commented on/favorited/followed this story, and hopefully the next section will be up soon!

* * *

Gloin had a fire roaring going in no time, and chatter sprouted almost immediately.

But then Fili and Kili stumbled out from the bushes, laughing about something quietly, and silence fell.

Bilbo wanted to say something, anything really, but his mind went blank. Thorin seemed to be doing the same thing across from him, a conflicted expression passing over his features.

Surprisingly, or well, unsurprisingly depending on how you thought of it, Bombur was the first to speak, "What'd you bring me this time?"

The elder brother wordlessly held up the two rabbits and the quail with a smile. The bird had obviously been speared by an arrow through the neck, while the two hares had wounds like they'd been hit with a throwing knife.

"Good hunting, you two. Bombur, why don't we get these cooking?" Thorin gave the compliment in an offhand tone, but Kili shot him a confused look.

Fili pulled the brunette down onto a log next to him, whispering something that had the brunette shrugging.

The conversation started up again not soon after that, even if it was a bit forced. Bilbo finally found his voice and began asking Bombur all about what he was making even though he'd probably heard the recipe six times already. The cook seemed to understand, however, and soon diverted the story to the more interesting topic of his children.

Bombur was just finishing a tale about his youngest daughter and how she'd caught her dress sleeve on fire her last name day when Dwalin began to chuckle for no obvious reason, until he spoke.

"Has anyone told of when Kili and Fili set the barn alight?"

Thorin turned towards his friend with an amused smile, "I don't believe so. Would you like to, or shall I?"

This was one of the moments that reminded Bilbo that yes, the two youngest members were the king's nephews and had to grow up with this dwarf as their uncle. It showed a softer aspect to Thorin, and a more serious side to the boys that the Hobbit wasn't sure many people saw.

Fili rolled his eyes skyward like he was pretending this was not happening to him as Kili grumbled for the both of them, "I don't think that's exactly necessary."

"Oh sure, lad, you'd say that. Your fault, it was."

"That's not true-"

"It was one chilly September afternoon," Thorin interrupted, "and these two had what they thought was a grand plan…"

Bilbo didn't think he'd heard the normally grumpy dwarf talk so much since the meeting at his home in Bag End. His voice was surprisingly calming, and within a few minutes, the Hobbit realized what the two lifelong friends were doing.

Everyone in the company listened attentively as their King spun his words. He did an excellent job of it, drawing even the brother's Ri back into the main group, joining them together in something that wasn't fighting to survive.

He spoke of two young boys who were trying to start a fire on their own out in the pasture that the community of dwarves shared, without permission of course. They not only managed to get a small flicker going in their pile of dried grass, but also the tail of a poor defenseless mare.

Thorin proceeded to explain that he wasn't exactly sure what happened next (to which Fili replied, "we were trying to put it out in the water bucket, alright?") but the pony spooked when they'd gotten it near the barn. It had tried to roll in the hay to put itself out, but only succeeded in spreading the flame further.

"Their faces when we found them, just staring at this barn with a collapsed roof, flames 30 feet high... Oh we were angry, sure, but their expressions were almost worth it," Dwalin cut in.

"The mare survived with minimal damage, and we helped rebuild the barn, plus, we were forced to work for you in the forge for the next week,manning the bellows. It was terrible. And as if that wasn't punishment enough, we now have to hear this story told at least once a year," Kili groaned.

"You thought that was bad? I could have recounted the time you and that lass..." the burly warrior chuckled.

Kili's eyes widened and he put his hands out in a placating gesture, "No, no, no, I think the one was good enough. Let's just leave it there and call it a night, shall we?"

"He's right. It's been a long few days. We should get plenty of rest. Dwalin, first watch. Bofur, second, and Balin, you take third. We'll leave camp a few hours after sunrise," Thorin ordered.

That was everyone's cue to break the circle and set up their bedrolls. The young brunette shot his uncle a grateful look, which was dutifully ignored, even though Bilbo could have sworn that the corner of his mouth twitched just slightly.

It was a bit before sunrise when a loud screech echoed over the field towards them.

Bilbo woke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest when he realized that no, no one had had a nightmare, it was, in fact, an orc.

"We need to send a scout! See where they are!" Gloin hissed in the darkness.

"Bilbo would be perfect," Gandalf suggested.

Now his stomach was twisted, and his thoughts muddled. Why would they send him?

Right. He was supposed to be the company burglar, and if he couldn't even sneak over a few hills to see where their enemy lie, how did he think he was going to face a dragon?

He was about to ask why Fili or Kili, or both, didn't go in his stead, since they were normally the ones sent on this kind of job, but when he went to suggest this, he realized that Kili was still passed out on the ground with his brother leaning next to him on a log, his expression guarded.

Before he even really understood what was happening, there were dwarves pushing him down the path. He passed the younger dwarves, concern obviously plain on his face, because Fili whispered, "He's always tired after the full moon. He'll be awake when you get back, don't worry."

Well, that wasn't exactly what he'd been scared about, but it did ease his terror slightly, knowing that if he came racing back towards them with wargs on his heels, the dwarves would be ready to take off with him.

That train of thought would get him nowhere, and he frantically tried to ignore it.

He raced up the nearest hill, hoping that height would give him the advantage.

He encountered only darkness.

So, they were further away than he'd thought. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. It meant he wasn't as close to help if he should need it, but they also had a greater chance of escape.

As long as he managed to remain unseen that was.

Bilbo wasn't exactly sure how many slopes he climbed, but finally he reached one that revealed Azog loping across a mountain top a ways away from him, growling commands at the orcs following him. The hobbit quickly ducked behind a rock, fear spiking through him, but when a few heartbeats passed and no one was shouting in discovery, he figured he was safe.

He was just about to leave and report what he'd seen when there was the sound of heavy breathing much too close to him for comfort.

The thought that one of the dwarves had followed him passed through his mind, but when he turned and spotted the huge bear, he knew he was gravely mistaken.

He gave a small squeak and tried to shrink to a smaller size against the stone. What was that thing?

(He did not sign up for this. The contract had never said anything about being mauled by a monstrous animal... unless that counted under lacerations?)

His feet barely touched the ground as he sprinted back towards the company.

When he arrived, everyone began talking over him. Gandalf kept interrupting with some comment about how it showed how great of a burglar he was, as well as the dwarves congratulating him as if they didn't think he'd survive, until it was driving him nuts.

"No! No, I'm trying to tell you, there's something else out there!" Bilbo practically screeched.

Everyone fell silent in shock.

"What?" Kili questioned, his tone curious.

"A... bear, or something, a huge one. Oh, and good morning."

Never let it be said that a Baggins forgot his manners.

Kili nodded in response to that, obviously bewildered as to what Bilbo meant by a bear.

Gandalf soon cleared that up.

"Yes... see, that's something I've been investigating the past few days," the wizard said, his tone slightly apologetic.

"What are you insinuating?" Thorin growled.

"We need supplies, and a place to rest in which we won't be hunted by orcs. Henceforth, I tracked down an old friend of mine... Beorn is his name."

"What does this have to do with-"

"Master Dwalin, I was getting to that, if you'd let me continue," Gandalf reprimanded the warrior, his expression irritated, "Beorn is a skin-changer. He can transform into a large bear at will."

"There are others?" Fili spoke up.

"Yes. Something Beorn was eager to discover as well. He has offered us safe passage in exchange for what he seems to think will be a grand story of how we came here. And, he requires a meeting with you three, before he will let us stay with him," the wizard pointed towards the heirs of Durin, "He was fascinated to learn he is no longer alone."

There were protests on all sides, not only from Thorin, Fili and Kili as Bilbo had expected. No one seemed comfortable with another unpredictable skin-changer around, not to mention one of questionable sanity, if he was Gandalf's friend. A certain brown wizard came to mind...

"I suggest you make your minds up quickly. Because if you do not agree, Beorn does not take kindly to trespassers. He will either help us... or kill us."

The roar in the distance only seemed to punctuate that sentiment.

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A/N: Comments and follows much appreciated! Thank you for reading! :) 


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